Union Ministry of Environment to launch National Air Quality Index in April 2015 [ Current Affairs ]

(March 21, 2015)

National Air Quality Index launched by Union Ministry of Environment in April 2015. The main purpose of launched the National Air Quality Index will measure of air quality of the environment.

National Air Quality Index will measure the eight major pollutants that impact health and including the nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide, ammonia and lead - and disseminate information on associated health risks.

National Air Quality Index is a simple, composite, and easy to understand measure of air quality and based on color-coded easy to identify format (PM 10 and PM 2.5).

Each color of index will indicate a level of the index. There are including the six levels- Good, Satisfactory, Moderately polluted, Poor, Very Poor and Severe.

National Air Quality Index will be an important step towards creating greater awareness among people about the true nature of the city’s air quality by the World Health Organization.

At present, there are 46 stations with continuous monitoring capabilities in 16 cities and also monitoring by Pollution control board in 66 cities.